TopGear.com at the Goodwood Revival

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Torrential rain, moist tweed, the vague fug of Castrol20W/50 in your nostrils: this year’s world-famous Goodwood Revival was as British as the empire, only bigger.

For the first time ever, all three days of Lord March’s enormous classic car festival - this year stretching across the biggest ever site - were completely sold out. Which isn’t a great surprise.

There were anniversaries - the Ford GT40, Jim Clark’s first world championship and the Mini Cooper S were celebrating their 50th year. The first Goodwood nine-hour competition also turned 60, acknowledged with a 90-minute race between Jaguar, Ferrari, Maserati and Aston Martin classics.

There were also drivers. Stirling Moss, Jean Alesi, John Cleland, Dario Franchitti, John Surtees, Christian Horner, Tom Kristensen, Nick Mason, Tiff Needell, Adrian Newey, and Andy Wallace all hit the storied track track in various antiquated machinery. Though Swedish IndyCar star, Kenny Bräck, stole the show with his mightily sideways lap in a GT40.

Then there were the recreations. Mr Wheatcroft’s garden centre, an entire Tesco supermarket - where you could buy new groceries in vintage packaging - and a working taxi rank, which included a Subaru 360, original Fiat Multipla or careworn Humber Sceptre vying for your fare. All falling perfectly under the pre-1966 remit, and a triumph of the very British craft Revival defines.

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